and when it needed to be washed... a fleece throw i made took its place for the day.

she made sure that all of her nurses... and anyone who walked into her room knew that i had made it. she was so proud of me... and always told me.

now the quilt is mine again.

and while i thought it would be strange.

and hard to look at... instead it brings me comfort.

and i'll treasure it knowing what comfort it brought to her.

all along the last few months i knew my silver lining was that my brother, his wife.. and this little one would fly in when it all happened... this little one is only a bit over 2 and was a ball of energy all week.

but there was another silver lining

one i never could have dreamed of.

i have learned some amazing family history in my absence from my blog this past week... i have often mentioned that my mom doesn't quilt... she is an amazing seamstress & embroiderer but unfortunately not a quilter... my mommom.. who was my mom's mother was also an amazing seamstress... but that was all i knew... as our family gathered to remember her... a quilt was taken out and shown to me... a quilt i had never seen before.. and didn't know existed.

all kinds of emotions were flowing.it wasn't long before i remembered that there was a double wedding ring quilt that had been passed down to me... i took it out and started searching the back... and found AEK 1939.

now i had the challenge of figuring out who was AEK... who made these quilts?..

they are both hand crafted beautiful pieces of art.... true heirlooms...

the "K" was easy.. Kardux... my mommom's maiden name.

but past that... i had no idea.

her mom was Joanna Boda.. and since Kardux was her married name it wasn't her mom... it had to be someone else...

my mom pulled out a bound book of my mommom's family history which goes back to my great...great...great grandparents. the table of contents was no help.... no AEK... so we went page by page... till we found it.

I discovered that my Great Great Grandmother's name was Alice Edith Souter... she was listed as Edie Souter in the table of contents... it had to be her. she was born in 1863 and died in 1952... that means she was 70 when the one quilt was finished and 76 when the other one was.

I am very grateful to have in my possession these pieces of my own family history, at the same time I am sad that I did not discover that my mommom's grandmother was a quilter... I would love to have had the opportunity to have my mommom share her stories of her grandmother with me.

the family history book had a lot of information... this excerpt stuck out to me...

a perfectionist... i'm far from perfect...

but there have been times that i redo a seam until it is perfect

so i guess when that happens.. i'm having an Edie moment.

I will treasure these quilts and the history i have just learned of them... and make sure that their history is passed down to future generations and kept alive.

{photo credit for all but one photo goes to my brother, brad herman... thank you for continuing to inspire and push me... and for being just as creative as i am... i couldn't ask for a better brother.}

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comments:

She is such a beautiful woman. And those are really beautiful quilts. I hope your family brings you comfort... Thank you for sharing your story; it made my eyes water up.

I recently made a quilt for my Grandma after her 5-way bypass (you can read about it here http://tigers4trace.blogspot.com/2009/12/quilt-that-almost-was-and-quilt-that.html) ... and was looking for red hat fabric, but didn't find any, so Aster Manor it was. I think quilts are just so special, because you feel loved with each and every little piece.

Julie, Thanks for sharing this great family story. Although we all have the family history book, unless there is a connection, it just seems collects dust. I am so glad that your quilting brought out the book. And the quilting gene lives on...

I know first hand how much Mom-mom Emmy loved the quilt you made for her. It is filled with love from you and now love from her back to you!

What a sweet, sweet story. You mom-mom was a beautiful woman. You were so lucky to have had such a special relationship with her. She'll be with you forever. Thanks for sharing this with your blogging friends.

Thanks for sharing your journey! How exciting that your mommom left you such a legacy! See, Quilting is in our genes! I hope these quilts and the history you have discovered will help you heal! The loss of a loved one is always difficult! You are in my thoughts and prayers!

I'm very sorry for your loss, but so happy for you that you found that quilting connection.I am the "first quilter" in my family that I know of. I can imagine how much you will treasure your newly found quilts.

Julie, what a poignant and touching series of events for you and your family. I'm so sorry for your loss. The quilts that you now have tell a story of the person who made them...it must be a treasure to look carefully at all those stitches made so long ago. A little of your great,great grandmother and her hands that touched the fabric and sewed those seams with great care, is alive in them...and now in you. How beautiful. I hope you find some solace in the days ahead.

What a beautiful post...it had me chuckling, grinning, and tearing up...my condolences to you and your family...is there any greater feeling than knowing someone you love absolutely loves and cherishes something you make for them??

Such beautiful quilts. You truly have wonderful heirlooms. I am so glad that you were able to find out this information about your family history. It is so important and you will be able to cherish those quilts even more now that you know more about them. You will be able to share these stories with your young family and they will be able to share it with theirs when they are older. Such great things to pass on. I am very sorry for your loss. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. It is very touching.

I'm so sorry for your loss, even when you're waiting for it, it definitely does not make it easier. Your post brought tears to my eyes, and I sniffled my way through most of the post. You captured the very reason I quilt. My quilts are far from perfect, I still consider myself a beginner, but I like to think that one day, something I've made will bring comfort to someone I loved. My grandmother was a quilter, and I have two of her quilts, and I will pass them down to my two kids. Thank you for sharing your history with us, what a beautiful story, and those quilts are definitely items worth treasuring!

I'm sorry to hear about your mommom's passing. It is never easy. What a treasure to find such great family heirlooms. Then to have the family history right there to be able to see who made them. That's so awesome. The quilts are beautiful. What a blessing. The quilt you made your grandmother is wonderful too. I am sure she treasured it. Take care.

What an amazing story and so sorry about your mommom passing away. In such a hard time, it is nice that there are still moments of joy that can be found. It is especially nice that your family has some recorded history to look back to.

aww how sweet, and those quilts are gorgeous!! it's pretty amazing. I gave my grammy a quilt recently, well, the other day I called to say hi, and she started crying, she did not notice till after i left the handwritten note on her label. she told me that she uses it every single day, and that she will cherish my quilt for every day of the rest of her life. it made me really happy. I hope to someday receive it back, all worn and tattered. She is 72, and such a beautiful person!! Enjoy those beautiful quilts!!

Julia,Wonderful tribute to 'mommom' and a heartwarming story. I too have inherited many handmade quilts which I cherish. May your "antiques" wrap you in continuing love. When you appreciate the time, effort,and love that goes into making a quilt, you cherish and keep that circle of love flowing. My sincere sympathy to your whole family. Love, Judy

What a beautiful woman! I am sorry for your loss. My husbands grandmother was a quilter she worked very hard to make sure everyone one got one of her quilts. At the time of her death my sister in law wrote this song and sang it at her funeral and put into words what we all felt, and to know that her quilts will be around for many generations. What a treasure you have now.This link will take you to the song.

What a wonderful story and what precious family heirlooms you now have! I'm sorry it took your grandmother's passing to learn so much about your family. What remarkable women in your history! My sincere condolences to you & your family.

What a lovely post about your mommom, it brought tears to my eyes. My deepest sympathy to you and your family.. I'm happy you found those treasures and learned more about your family. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

JulsThank you for such a beautiful tribute to MomMom..You are my sunshine and I am so proud that you will carry on her legacy. She loved you (and that quilt) so very much! Thank you to all of your friends in "jaybird" world who have offered their blessings and comfort!I love you!Mom

Julie...I'm so sorry for your loss...but so happy for the wonderful family history you've gained...I completely understand your emotions as I experienced them this summer while going through quilts made by my great-great grandmothers! What a beautiful tribute and legacy you have!

julie, sorry for your loss. I'm sure your Mommom was a wonderful woman. It never ceases to amaze me how much comfort one can get from a quilt. The one you made for your Mommom and the one you got from your Mommom. What a wonderful piece of heritage you have.God Bless.

I'm sorry about your angel's passing - it is always difficult when the time actually comes. Now she can join her loved ones and reminisce about all the forgotten joys of life. And you now have beautiful heirlooms that I know you will treasure forever. Sending hugs your way :)

Awesome tale Julie, how blessed you are to have had you Mommom and for the quilts and history of your family. You are doubly blessed for caring so much!I am truly sorry that you dear grandmother gone to heaven!

You have brought me to tears with your heartwarming post. You have awakened in me some treasured family memories. God bless you and your family as you continue to make memories to be cherished by future generations.Kristy in Ohio

Julie,The loss of your grandmother, and then finding out about the quilts... the one you made for her and her love of it, and the ones made by your great, great grandmother...is a very meaningful connection for you and your ancestors. It brought tears to my eyes as it did many others.Susan

I am so moved by this story. I just started my first quilt and have been fretting over the care of an Amish quilt I inherited from my grandmother who lived in PA many years ago. She passed away a few years ago, and yesterday I visited my ailing grandfather and fed him dinner. This morning, with quilting thoughts flooding my mind, I visited the UpperRoom website for a daily devotional. Today's was entitled "Grandma's Quilts," and it discussed how we are meant to use gifts, not store them away. Your story seems to confirm a little hello from my grandmother today. :)